


i could put a little stardust in your eyes

by felicityollies



Series: the stars lean down to kiss you [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alien Cultural Differences, Aliens, Alternate Universe - Aliens, Angst, Doctors & Physicians, F/M, Miscommunication, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-03-06 05:05:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13404078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/felicityollies/pseuds/felicityollies
Summary: Lost in an unfamiliar place, Oliver finds himself dazed and confused. This world is too big, too loud, too fast, but he discovers help and an unlikely friendship in one Dr. Felicity Smoak.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AlexiaBlackbriar13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexiaBlackbriar13/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sometimes I wake up at one in the morning with weird ideas. today was one of those days. i know i still owe prompts, persephades, and the tgs au, but this was begging to be written. Both the story and alexiablackbriar13 did some begging ;)

  


He opened his eyes, one at a time, and gazed upon the stars above him. They seemed dimmer than they had before. Slowly, his other senses came to him. The smells around him were strange, bitter mixed with foliage. His body ached. He moved slightly, feeling the hard ground beneath him. He dragged his fingers through it, it was soft too. How could it feel so hard against his back, but soft on his fingers? This place was strange. Much different than the sandy landscape he was used to back home. He pushed himself up. A low grunt fell from his lips. Everything hurt.

He took in his surroundings. Things he had seen in books, things he knew to be grass, dirt, and trees as well as pieces of his mode of transportation. It was completely destroyed. He couldn’t remember how he ended up here and had no idea where here was. His clothing had barely survived the wreck; his pants and shirt were torn and he had nothing covering his feet.

Stumbling through the wooded area, he found himself on a dark road. A yellow line went down the middle. A vehicle sped past him. The sounds emanating from the machine were so loud, they startled him. More of the bitter smell came from the smoke of the vehicle. He covered his ears and walked faster. Another machine, this time with people hanging out of it, screaming wildly. He took off at a run. The breath was stolen from him. His bare feet pounded against the hard road until a loud roaring noise startled him to a stop. Bright lights blinded him before pain flooded him.

* * *

“Smoak.”

“What, Merlyn?”

“John Doe just came in,” he thumbed towards the way he had just come, “He’s all yours.”

Felicity nearly fell out of the rolling chair she was perched in. She dropped her bag of twizzlers on the nurse’s station desk and started off down the hall. Behind her she could hear Tommy snatching up the twizzlers. She didn’t care; she was just happy to have some excitement that evening. Obviously excitement in hospitals was not always a good thing, but she craved something to do.

She grabbed John Doe’s chart and peered inside the room, “Preliminary exam says you were in a car accident… as in you were outside of the car and it hit you,” she looked at him, noting that he was very handsome, but pretty beat up. “Head injury, busted lip….”

Felicity continued to read over all the notes and check all of his vitals, “Tommy noted there was a black substance on you earlier, possibly motor oil from the car, but he wasn’t sure,” she sighed, eyeing the chart and then him, “The nurse cleaned you up well enough there’s nothing there now…”

His heart rate seemed normal, but there was note of an odd sound between heartbeats, possible heart murmur. Felicity picked up her stethoscope and put it on. Her hand moved the device over his chest. His heart rate was strange. She could hear it almost quickening as if he were reacting to her, but more than that there seemed to be an echo. Another heartbeat almost directly after what she considered to be his usual one.

“What is that?” she whispered as she glided the stethoscope across his chest.

Finally, she pulled back and slid the stethoscope around her throat again. Felicity gently lifted his shirt to continue her examination. She was about to say something about his very nice abs and lack of obvious abdominal injuries or internal bleeding when she noticed something else.

“Where is your belly button?”

This man was becoming something of a mystery.

Suddenly his hand reached out, grabbing her by the wrist. She yelped loudly, dropping the clipboard with a clatter. His grip on her was tight and almost bruising. He looked up at her with startling blue eyes. They were almost inhumanly bright.

“I’m only here to help you,” she said, “You’re hurt. You were in a car accident.”

He stared at her, but didn’t let go.

“Can you tell me your name? Do you know where you are?”

Still he stared. She swallowed thickly. He wasn’t reacting to her in the way she wanted; she immediately worried his head injury was worse than it originally looked.

“We need to get you an MRI…”

He finally let her go. Just as she was about to let out a sigh of relief, he tore his IV from his arm and the monitors from his chest, and started to leave.

“No, no, no….” she grabbed onto his arm, “Please stay. Let me help you.”

She felt him tense as if he was going to get ready to run. Felicity racked her brain for what to do. She moved in front of him, blocking his way. She was much shorter and smaller than him, but she was going to try her damnedest to keep him in there.

“Do you understand me?” she asked.

He looked at her, frowning.

Felicity sighed and tired asking him the same question in as many languages as she could think of. If one of them struck a chord with him, then she could get a translator.

But nothing.

She rolled up the sleeves of her doctor’s jacket and her rose pink scrubs and gently put her hands on him again. He tensed under her touch, but for whatever reason, allowed her to push him back into the bed.

“I want to help you,” she sighed, “You’re hurt.”

Felicity held up his arm showing him a scratch. He looked at the wound and then to her. Part of her thought he might be understanding, but it was hard to tell. His face, for the most part, stayed very passive. He was like no one she had ever met before. It made her worry even more.

“I’m going to set you up for an MRI as soon as possible. We need to make sure there’s nothing going on inside.”

He stared at her with those big blue eyes. She let out a long sigh.

“I’ll be right back, don’t move,” she said, moving towards the door, “And I’m putting that IV back in when I come back.”

When she got back to the nurse’s station, Tommy had his feet up on the desk was eating out of a chip bag.

“You’re lucky it’s oh-god-thirty and no one is here to see you do that,” she said.

He shrugged, “What are you doing?”

“Getting an MRI for John Doe.”

“You really think he needs that?”

“There’s something really off about him… I don’t know if we don’t understand each other or if there’s something else going on.”

“What do you mean don’t understand each other?”

Right, apparently she was the only one who had gotten to speak to him. Sort of.

“He doesn’t speak and when I speak to him he doesn’t really respond. There’s… nothing,” she waved her hand in front of her face, “The lights are on, but nobody’s home. Well… that’s not true. I think I scared him at first so that is something, but other than that…” she trailed off.

“Hmmm,” Tommy munched on his chips, “If he’s easily spooked you might have to sedate him for the MRI.”

She sighed, “You’re probably right.”

Felicity took a time slot for one of the MRI machines in the morning. She probably wasn’t going to be sleeping any time soon, but that was okay. Her patients were more important.

“Uh Smoak.”

She looked up at Tommy and saw him pointing behind her. Turning around, she noticed John Doe waltzing out of his room.

“No, no, no, what are you doing?” she yelled loudly.

He startled and recoiled away from her. She stopped and immediately understood what she had done. She was too loud and scared him again.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly, reaching out to touch him gently. He pulled away from her touch, “I won’t get loud again…”

He returned to his room, to the safety and quiet. She kept her eyes on him and let out yet another long sigh. It was going to be a lot of effort taking care of this John Doe, but she was going to do it. She barely knew this man, but she was a doctor dammit. This was her job. Not only that, but there was something about him that was pulling her in.

* * *

He stared at the woman before him. She was small and loud, but not as loud as the screaming people outside. Still the noises were a lot to handle.

He let her slide the needle and tubes back into him. From what he could gather, she was a doctor of this place. He didn’t know what she could do for him, but what other option did he have? His head throbbed and his bones ached.

She opened her mouth and said more words. More words he didn’t understand. She smiled and squeezed his arm. More things he didn’t understand. The longer she spent with him the more lost and confused he felt. They were similar, he could see that very well, but they were also extremely different.

He just wanted to know where he was and when he was going to get to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think!
> 
> tumblr & twitter: felicityollies


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first full disclosure i know nothing about medicine in anyway shape or form. second, this au is slowly becoming very important to me and i love alien!oliver so much. but anyway i hope y’all enjoy!

What was once quiet slowly filled with noise. Each strange sound filled him with anxiety. The hospital became bright. More people walked the halls. He could hear their steps, their voices, and more. Why was everything so loud?

He struggled to understand.

“Alright, Mr. Doe,” the small doctor said.

He stared at her, giving a slight tilt of his head. He wanted to know what she was saying, but to him it sounded like utter gibberish. At least he could take solace in the fact she spoke quieter than the others.

“It’s time for your appointment downstairs. We should probably wheel you down there,” she looked at him and sighed, “You still have no idea what I’m saying.”

He frowned. What had he done to upset her? As much as he didn’t understand her language, he understood her behavior even less. What was she?

She pulled away from the bed and pointed at the door. He could comprehend that. She wanted him to follow her out the door. He slid from the bed, letting his bare feet touch the cold tile floor. Looking down, he wiggled his toes. She had already taken the little tube out of his arm, so he was free to walk forward.

He didn’t know where they were going, but she had been the only being to show him a semblance of kindness so far, so he decided to follow her. The doctor led him out into the hall where someone was waiting for them. A man who seemed vaguely familiar. He grinned and pushed forth a chair with wheels on it. The female doctor pointed at it, so he sat down. With some effort, she started to push him forward. He wasn’t sure he liked the sensation of it. He couldn’t see her and she had full control of him. Swallowing thickly, he pushed the thought away and tried to trust her.

There were other beings like her and the male running around. Some wearing similar white coats covering clothes that looked like his; pants and a shirt all one color. They weren’t very comfortable if he really thought about it. The fabric was tight and scratchy, but it was what they had given him. Others in the hallway wore something resembling a bedsheet with holes for limbs and ties in the back.

The doctor gently pushed him further down the corridor towards an ugly contraption. It looked like an elevator, but older. Much older and not as safe. It clanked it’s doors open loudly, startling him slightly. He stared at it for a long moment. Back home the technology glided together smoothly. It shined and sparkled. The doors were transparent, but stepping inside one felt safe in the hands of the machinery. This did not make him feel safe. He did not even want to step aboard, but the doctor had no qualms. Panic flooded him as she pushed him into the machine.

The doors closed behind them with the same clank. He scrambled out of the chair.

“Woah woah woah, what’s wrong?”

He took a few deep breath and found inside it was much better. There was a quiet hum and a gentle beep as they went down. He expected it to be as rickety as the doors made it seem. He closed his eyes and leaned against the back wall. The panic slowly left him, but he really wanted to get out of there.

“Hey,” she tapped his arms, “You need to sit back down.”

He opened his eyes as she was gesturing to the chair. Carefully, he sat back down. He shook slightly, but he tried to calm down. He wasn’t used to feeling this way. Emotions were things that got in the way. He was taught this from a young age. That was how his people were. Emotions and physicality were not their way. Rationality, the pursuit of knowledge, and bettering themselves, that was the way it was supposed to be.

Fear was one thing he could get by with. Fear kept him alive, but never in his life had he felt it so strongly.

The elevator continued it’s decent, but as it did he could feel a slight thrumming in his fingers. The further they went the stronger it became. A humming and vibrating spread up his arms and into his chest. He knew the feeling. A magnetic resonance. Where was she taking him? 

The doctor pushed him out of the elevator and into a hallway full of rooms. They all seemed to be the same thing as they had the same sign above each door. He knew whatever was causing the vibrations were behind these doors. The tightness of anxiety settled in his stomach.

She pushed him into the room. As they got closer he could only assume she meant to place him in the machine. He didn’t want this. How was this supposed to help him? He was supposed to be trusting her, but he was finding it more and more difficult. He wasn’t like her, that he was sure of, and if this _thing_ showed her that he may be in trouble. On top of that, he had no idea what this was going to do to him. He could feel the magnetism radiating off of the machine. Could it be dangerous?

Harsh beating in his chest and another wave of anxiety. He couldn’t breathe. Even the buzzing of the lights seemed too loud. His eyes burned with tears, threatening to spill.

“I need you to get on this,” she tapped the machine.

He covered his ears and shook his head.

“Hey,” she kneeled down in front of him, “Hey, look at me,” her voice was so soft. He didn’t understand a thing she said, but her voice was so gentle. Somehow softer than the buzzing, softer than anything he had heard that day, “Just breathe.”

She took in a deep breath and he mimicked her. In and out.

“Good,” she kept breathing deeply and he continued to copy her.

It wasn’t until he was nearly calm that he noticed there was another room behind her. It was seperated by glass, but he could see other people and computers. He swallowed thickly. What was going on?

“Can we please try?” she tapped the machine again.

He glanced behind her and then to her face. He looked into her eyes. Pure emotion. Things he could barely put words to. No, he still couldn’t do it. He wanted to believe her, but he was scared. There was too much going on. Too much.

He stood suddenly, knocking the chair down. She stumbled backwards.

“Hey, c’mon it’s okay. I’m trying to help you.”

Why did she keep trying to speak to him? He didn’t understand! He backed away from her, getting as far away from the machine and her as he could. But he found himself getting backed into the corner. The others from the glass room came to join her. Their voices flooded him. They became a blur of noise. Too loud. He covered his ears again and continued to back up until he his the wall. Slinking down, he whimpered. He just wanted this to end.

“I should have done this sooner,” the doctor said softly, “This is going to help you.”

He felt a sharp pain in his thigh before everything quickly dulled. His vision became blurry and he slumped against the wall. He opened his mouth to speak to them, but the only thing that came out was a long whine.

“That should be just enough for him to lie still for a few minutes.”

Two larger beings grabbed him by the arms and he was guided back to the machine. He was lain down inside of it, but he could barely move. It wasn’t right. She had given him some sort of sedative. His body felt _off_. There was a squelch of his stomach and his mind seemed to be blurring.

The machine whirred to life around him. It pulled him in deeper. He was completely surrounded by this magnetic machine. Loud banging filled his ears. It rattled his chest and his very being. He couldn’t move. Couldn’t get away. His body was too heavy. The calming aspect of this sedative did nothing to rid him of his anxieties. He could do nothing but listen to the banging and will the tears in his eyes to leave him. He needed this drug out of his system.

It was several minutes before he could coax movement from his arm. This was it. He was going to get up and get out. His limbs felt loose, but he had to do this.

“Woah, hey, I need you to say there,” he heard the doctor’s voice from somewhere.

He pulled himself out of the machine and stood on shaky legs. One of the larger beings from before came to put his hands on him. He leaned forwards putting his own hands on the other person. He closed his eyes, feeling his stomach twist. There was barely any warning before he lost the contents of his stomach all over his chest and stomach. He coughed and wobbled.

“Oh god, he must be having an adverse reaction to the sedative.”

He hadn’t meant for that to happen. It was awful. But he thought maybe he would feel better afterwards. He was wrong. His body started to go slack. The other larger person from earlier came around behind him.

“Someone get a gurney,” was the last thing he heard before his world went black, yet again.

* * *

“I am a terrible doctor,” Felicity sighed, leaning in the doorway of John Doe’s room.

He was asleep. Completely passed out. There were no other signs of an allergic reaction, but she should have known better. He was panicking all the way downstairs and she only made it worse. She was a terrible doctor, no way around it.

“You’re not a terrible doctor, Smoak,” Tommy said, “Wanna know why?”

“Why?”

“Because you got him to lie down long enough to get some good scans,” he waved an envelope of results in front of her face.

She snatched them from him and immediately pulled them out of the envelope. The brain scans were clear, thankfully. His abdomen scans however.

“Has anyone else seen these?” she asked.

“Just the tech… why…” he went to grab them, but she pulled away.

“No reason, it’s just too bad we couldn’t get full body before he got out. What we did get are good, though. After we get some words out of him we should be able to release him.”

Tommy narrowed his eyes at her. Before he could say anything, a nurse called his name. Felicity held back a smug grin. She watched him leave, but her grin faltered. The woman waiting for Tommy was a tall and thin woman, she was dressed in a navy blue dress suit and sharp black pumps, and she looked like she meant business. Her black hair was pinned back in a tight bun. Not a single hair out of place.

Felicity looked away and back to the scans. Strange very strange. She slid them back into the envelope and decided to keep them to herself for now. Her eyes flickered back up to the woman and Tommy just in time to notice him gesturing in her direction. Crap. She did not get along with suits. They usually wanted to stick their noses and their money where they didn’t belong.

“Dr. Smoak,” the woman said. Her voice sent a chill down her spine, “Amanda Waller,” she held out her hand for her. The smile on the other woman’s face seemed fake. As if she were trying too hard to be nice. It was the kind of face of someone who wanted something.

Politely, Felicity took it and shook.

“Dr. Merlyn tells me you’ve been caring for a John Doe who was discovered last night.”

“Yes, are you family?”

“No, but I have an interest in him. If there is any information-”

“Doctor patient confidentiality.”

The smile slid away from her face, replacing it was a dark scowl, “Dr. Smoak.”

“I don’t know why you’re interested in John Doe, but he is a patient in my care and that means I’m going to take care of him. That also means I’m not going to share medical records with a random woman.”

“You could have made this easy,” Waller said.

“Made what easy?”

Amanda straightened her suit jacket, stood tall, and turned on her heel to leave. She walked like a woman who had seen battle, but also a woman who led the way into the warzone. Felicity wasn’t sure what she had just started, but she knew she couldn’t let Amanda Waller get to John Doe. She had a feeling it had something to do with the strange scans.

“I wish you could talk to me,” she sighed, looking in on him again.

“Smoak,” Tommy snuck up behind her again, “Go home.”

“No way.”

“Why?”

“What if he wakes up?”

“There are plenty of doctors here.”

She sighed, she knew this, but she felt a strange protectiveness over him. Felicity didn’t want to leave him in just anyone’s care.

“Who’s coming in?” she asked.

“I’ll be here for another hour or so, Digg, Grant, Grey-”

“Ask Digg to watch him for me. I trust him.”

Tommy gave the loudest offended gasp.

“Oh shut up,” she laughed.

He gently shoved her, “Go sleep.”

She shoved him back, “You too, but make sure they know to call me in if something happens.”

He nodded.

Felicity showered the stress of the day away, well two days, and climbed into bed. Her cat, Kirk, hopped up onto her bed and snuggled in beside her. The cat was a sandy colored fluffball, a little chunky, but the sweetest thing. He would love up on anyone.

“What do you think I should do, Kirk?” she asked him.

He purred and nuzzled her hand.

“Sleep and stop worrying so much? Probably,” she sighed.

It was easier said than done. Her mind was reeling. That Amanda woman had been so suspicious. Maybe she was government, but then why would she be after some John Doe. Was he on a wanted list? But he didn’t seem like the type. She couldn’t even get him into an elevator without him having a panic attack. His abdominal scans, though. She had never seen anything like it.

After awhile she finally slipped into a peacefully sleep. It was interrupted four hours in when her phone blared beside her.

“What?” she practically snapped.

Dr. John Diggle panted on the other side, “Your John Doe… we lost him. He woke up and freaked out. He is… freakishly strong and now he is...” he breathed, “On the loose somewhere in the building.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think!
> 
> tumblr & twitter: felicityollies


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was teasing alexiablackbriar13 and told her i wasn’t going to update this for two weeks.... and then i got busy and accidentally didn’t update for two weeks. buuut I just finished my philosophy class and i’m free for a couple of days which means updaaaates

He shifted in bed. The memories of his traumatizing encounter came flooding back. The archaic and magnetic machines, the men who tried to grab him, and the drug which flooded his system, making him feel inebriated and sick. His eyes flew open. The heart monitor began to beep erratically. A being larger than he came running into the room. This was not the small doctor who had been helping him before. Where was she? The blonde had taken him down to the machines and stuck him with the needle, that was true. It was her fault he was trapped in the magnetic box, more scared than he had ever felt before, but some part of him understood she was trying to help. She was the only creature there he felt he could trust and now she was gone.

“It’s okay,” the other being walked towards him.

He swallowed thickly and climbed out of bed.

“My name is John Diggle and I’m here to help you. Dr. Smoak put me in charge.” 

He tugged all the tubes and wires off of himself. His eyes never left the dark hues of the other being. He didn’t seem threatening, but that didn’t mean he was trustworthy. When he took another step towards him, that was enough. With a quick leap, he ran towards the person and pushed him out of the way with as much brute strength as he could muster. He didn’t have to say behind to know he was nearly knocked off his feet.

“Come back!”

He ran down the hall, bare feet padding against the tile. Bright lights came through the windows. People were scattered across the hallway. It was worse than it had been hours ago when he was taken through the halls in the chair with wheels.

“Someone call security!”

He didn’t turn back; he kept running, trying to get away. Maybe he could find his doctor. He would not let her poke him with needles and drugs again. No more old machinery either, but there had to be something she could do. Something to get him away from all this chaos. He could barely handle the noise and the interactions.

His world was so different than this.

He pushed through a door with a label he couldn’t read, which led him into a stairwell. Down a few flights he went. He only stopped when he thought he was safe for a moment. He pressed himself against a cool wall and closed his eyes. His chest hurt with the rise of panic, his lungs constricted, and he willed himself to calm down enough to think.

It would be so much easier if they could understand him or he could understand him, but he was afraid to even utter a word in his own language.

He shook his head and continued down the stairs. There had to be a way out of the building.

* * *

Felicity arrived at the hospital just in time for it to start raining. The joys of living in Washington. She made her way inside without getting too wet and went straight for John.

“Anything?” she asked.

“No,” Dr. Diggle sighed, “Security caught him on camera, but lost him again only a second later. I’m not even sure he’s in the building anymore.”

“Shit,” she ran her hand down her face, “What are we going to do? We’ve never lost a patient before.”

“Get the police involved if we don’t find him soon.”

“God.”

This was all her fault. She had scared the poor guy. Made him sick and given him a damn panic attack. If she’d had known he had some kind of anxiety disorder… She took in a deep breath. All she could do was find him and help him.

They searched the hospital top to bottom for a couple hours. She, Diggle, and the security team did their best, but he was gone. Felicity sincerely hoped he didn’t get more hurt. She also hoped Amanda Waller didn’t find him. There was something about that woman that both worried and terrified her. Waller’s interest in her John Doe was suspicious as hell.

“Go home, Smoak,” John said, “Get some real sleep and some back tomorrow.”

She frowned heavily, “But…”

“Sleep. You’re no good to us dead on your feet.”

She sighed, “Alright.”

The skies had darkened and the rain worsened by the time she got outside. It definitely didn’t look like it was the middle of the afternoon. She pulled out her keys to unlock her car and a hand came down against her wrist.

“I only have five dollars in cash on me!” she squeaked.

Her eyes moved up and she found herself staring into the startling blue eyes of her John Doe. He opened his mouth and spoke, really spoke, but what came out sounded like what happens when a person turns a record player backwards. She wasn’t sure if that was an accurate description, but it wasn’t a language she understood. It was just nice to know he could speak.

He frowned when she didn’t understand.

Thunder cracked above them, loud and threatening. He jumped, moving closer to her, if that was possible.

“We need to get you back inside,” she grabbed onto him and started tugging him towards the hospital.

He pulled back, frowning deeper. His grip on her was tight, but gentle. He barely had to use any kind of strength to pull her around. It was kind of startling.

“What do you want me to do? Take you home?” she pointed to the car.

He looked from her to the car and proceeded to point at it as well.

She glanced to the hospital and back at him. What the hell was she supposed to do? She couldn’t leave him out there in the rain. She couldn’t drag him back up to the hospital, so she supposed her only option was to take him home with her.

* * *

“I want your help. Please take me to safety,” he had tried to say, but she only stared at him with what he guessed was the same amount of confusion he had been giving her.

He had been standing out there for awhile. The water from the sky pouring down on him. it was cold and not very appealing. Even worse were the loud cracks and the flashes of light. It startled him greatly and he wished for it to stop. He was so grateful when he saw the doctor coming out to her vehicle. It was different than the one he’d encounter before. Small and red.

She opened up the back and motioned for him to climb inside. He smacked his head on the way in; he was too big for this miniature vehicle, but it seemed a perfect size for her. He scrunched himself up as much as he could in the back. His hand came to his forehead, rubbing it gently. He watched her carefully as she climbed into the front seat and started it up. It sounded much different than the transportation back home. On his planet they rode in vehicles which flew and only gave a soft hum. This roared, though it was quieter than what had driven past him and the one that had hit him.

She turned a few knobs on a console in the middle. When she did a blast of hot air blew through the vehicle. He leaned up and slumped forward as not to hit his head again. Leaning as far forward as he could without getting in her way, he put his hands in front of the warm air. It felt incredible against his cold and wet fingers.

* * *

Felicity led him upstairs and to her apartment. It was only when they walked through the door that she realized he was soaked to the bone. She wasn’t the kind of person to keep an ex’s clothes around, so she was going to have to wash what he had and dry it. She went to fetch a towel and a heated blanket for him first.

“I need your clothes,” she tugged on his shirt.

He blinked at her for a moment before seeming to understand. She turned away until she heard two thuds of wet clothes on her wood floor. Without looking, she handed him a towel. She awkwardly stood there as he dried off and then handed off the blanket to him.

“Wrap yourself in this,” she said, hoping he would understand.

After handing it to him, she hesitantly turned around. Thankfully, he was covered. She led him to the couch and helped him plop down. She was going to have to deal with the fact there was a naked butt on her couch, but at least it was a cute naked butt. Felicity plugged in the blanket and turned up the heat on it.

He hummed in contentment. John Doe looked so vulnerable, sitting there wrapped in her blanket. Wet there and cheeks red from the cold. He trusted her for some reason. She didn’t understand it, but she was grateful.

Kirk jumped up near him, startling him for a moment. She watched, tilting her head. It seemed like he had never seen a cat before. He stared at the sandy fluffball. His gaze moved to her with a questioning worry. She reached down and scratched Kirk behind the ears. The cat purred loudly and nuzzled her hand. John Doe stared at him again.

“It’s okay,” she said softly, “C’mon Kirk, leave the poor man alone.”

Kirk huffed indignantly, but jumped down and wandered towards the bedroom. Felicity got his clothes into the washer on a quick cycle, changed her own clothes, and decided to get some food for the both of them. She wasn’t much of a cook, so frozen pizza was pretty much the best she could do.

It was quiet while they waited. Neither one of them could understand the other, leaving her with her thoughts. It was never a good thing. She wondered what hiding a patient meant for her; she wondered if she even cared. Probably not. He was scared, needed help, and was in some kind of trouble with some uptight woman that she was pretty sure had something to do with his odd scans. She felt an odd kind of protectiveness towards him and that wasn’t going away.

When the pizza was ready, she brought him a slice, and put it front of his face, “Eat.”

She sat down beside him again and took a bite of her own piece. He hesitantly took the place of pizza from her. Leaning into it, he sniffed the pizza. Had he never had pizza either? Where was this guy from?

He watched her and mimicked the way she held the pizza. Slowly, he brought it to his lips. He almost seemed scared of it, but he finally took a bite. She waited for some kind of expression to cross his face, but instead he just took another bite and another. Felicity couldn’t help but laugh.

He paused in his gorging. His mouth full and his cheeks puffy.

“Don’t forget to swallow,” she teased.

He at least seemed to know she was making fun of him because he turned his face away from her and chewed slower.

It wasn’t long before the pizza was gone and his clothes were in the dryer. Felicity was about to tell him that he could shower if he wanted, but by the time she reached the couch, she found him curled up asleep. She could only imagine how exhausted he was after the last couple of days.

She only stayed up long enough to get his clothes from the dryer and set them by the couch for him to find. It had been a ridiculous few days for her too and she was ready to sleep it off.

The next morning was a blur. Her alarm didn’t go off, meaning she overslept. She nearly tripped over herself getting into the shower and pulling clean clothes on. Her cat stared at her like she was the weirdest creature he had ever seen. It was probably true. As she ran out the bedroom door with her purse and her keys, she was almost startled by the sight of John Doe. She didn’t forget about him. Of course not. She was just in a hurry.

He sat in front of her television with the blanket wrapped around him still. She could tell he had gotten dressed, though. His attention was completely glued to some children’s show. They were spelling out the word cat and talking about what cats do. As if on cue, Kirk snuggled up to John Doe. He looked down at the fluffball and then back to the screen.

Felicity opened her mouth and then closed it again. He would be fine if he just sat around and watched t.v all day. She was sure he could find the food too.

As much as she reassured herself that John Doe would be fine, she worried about him all day. What if he didn’t find the food? What if he tried to make a pizza and burned her apartment down? What if she got back and he wasn’t there? So much anxiety she could barely concentrate through the day.

Felicity had to force herself to stop at the store to get some more clothes for him and try to tell herself everything would be okay.

“Please be here, please be here,” she breathed as she unlocked the door.

She stepped through and found the television still on, but the heated blanket and Kirk were on the floor alone. Frowning, she closed the door, locking it and pushing forward. What she found was somewhat alarming. Three empty frozen pizza boxes on her counter. The oven on with what she assumed was the third pizza of the day. He stood there, bent over watching it like a hawk.

She cleared her throat.

He looked to her and stood straight. His mouth opened and she fully expected something strange to come out. “Hello. I would like to properly introduce myself because I am not John Doe,” he said, “My name is…. the closest translation I can come up with is Oliver Queen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think!
> 
> tumblr & twitter: felicityollies
> 
> \- also i'm sorry if this chapter was too fast paced, i only say that because i had a feeling i was being too quick


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> be prepared to learn more about oliver!
> 
> dreithz (dr-ee-ths) // dreithzian (dr-ee-th-zee-ann)

He woke up early that morning to find the strange creature staring at him. He’d never seen such a small furry thing before. It did not pose a threat to him and the way the doctor reacted to it, it did not seem to be for consumption either. No their food was much different. Triangular shaped, savory and dripping with an unhealthy substance. It made his fingertips shine. Yet, this sustenance was more delicious than anything he had ever tasted.

From what he could tell, she was laughing at him for the way he shoved it in his mouth. But it was good and he hadn’t eaten since before the crash; he was very _very_ hungry.

He changed back into his clothing after he woke and wrapped himself in the blanket. It was warm and comforting. He couldn’t remember having something as soft and wonderful back home. It was decided he must acquire soft things when he returned.

As he sat onto the floor he bumped a device which turned on a box in front of him. He was slightly startled at first when it began making noise. Narrowing his eyes, he picked up the device and hit one of the buttons. He accidentally turned the volume up, startling himself further. Quickly, he pushed the opposite button and fixed the volume. It only took him a couple of seconds to figure out the remote control for the box.

He clicked through the channels until he found something interesting to watch. It was like this for several hours. He watched the people on screen and listened to the words. In the hospital he was stressed and unable to fully comprehend and understand the context of the words being spat at him, but here he could quietly learn. The children’s channel made it easy. He learned a few words and concepts, especially cat; he felt better knowing what the furry creature was. It helped being able to see and hear the word on screen, so he watched the channel for awhile before bouncing around to more adult channels.

He felt a sense of pride being able to understand, but he needed more. The doctor had many books. With his new found knowledge he picked up a rather large one. He read it front to back, learning many more new words and finally deciding on a name for himself. The fact was, he already had a name, but he felt it was too complicated to give to the doctor. The names he had heard all day on the television were much simpler than his own. Oliver Queen would do. He liked the sound of it anyway.

Oliver knew he was smart. His people were adaptive when they needed to be and he was not any different. He could learn quickly and frankly he enjoyed learning. It was his job after all. He planned on learning as much as he could while he was there.

Learning how to make pizza and use the oven came with his new found skills. He had a very high metabolism, which meant he did require more food than it seemed these beings did. He was beginning to understand where he was, but he wanted confirmation first. The third pizza was in the oven when the doctor came in.

She cleared her throat. 

His attention slowly moved away from the baking pizza. He stood straight, letting his gaze move over her. She held a bundle of clothes in her hands and looked confused for some reason.

“Hello. I would like to properly introduce myself because I am not John Doe,” he said, “My name is…. the closest translation I can come up with is Oliver Queen.”

She stared at him for a long moment before her mouth fell open, “What the fuck?”

It was his understanding that those three words put in that order were not good.

“Have I caused you distress?” he asked.

She stared at him, her clothing falling out of her hands, “Have you…. caused me distress… what the hell is going on?” her voice raised and he took a step back from her, “You couldn’t speak English before.”

“I learned.”

“You learned?!” she shouted.

He cringed away from her shouting, “Why must humans be so loud?” he asked quietly.

“H-humans?” she choked, “What do you mean?”

“Are you not a human? Was I wrong in my assumption?”

“No, I… I am human,” she put her hands to her head on either side.

He didn’t understand the gesture; he didn’t really understand anything she was doing. Humans were very confusing to him. They were loud and emotional, quite unlike his own people.

“What are you?” she dropped her hands away.

“Dreithzian from the planet Dreithz.”

She stared at him the way she had been since she walked in the door. He did not like it very much.

“One of us has lost our mind and I’m really hoping it’s you,” she finally said.

The timer on the oven beeped, startling both of them. He pulled out the pizza and set it on the stove. Part of him wanted to stop this conversation and eat the pizza, but he had a feeling she would not allow it.

“My mind is very much intact,” he said.

“But you are telling me that you are an alien… from another planet.”

“I suppose.”

She closed her eyes, pressed her hands together, and brought them to her lips. He tilted his head watching her, unsure as to what she was doing. The way she held her body was tense. Her hands in front of her face seemed similar to that of a prayer, but he did not think she was praying.

Her eyes fluttered open suddenly, “Say I believe you…. will you tell me why you have two hearts?”

“Excuse me?” he frowned.

She walked passed him quickly to pick up a yellow envelope. He eyed the pizza for a moment before following her. She pulled out what looked like medical scans. It only took him another second to realize they were his.

“Not only do you have two hearts, but I’m not even sure what this is… a squeedily spooch,” she sighed, pointing at his organs.

He frowned further, “If you require lessons on Dreithzian anatomy….”

“God… the belly button… the organs…. this is really happening isn’t it? Hours of science fiction movies and television shows have not prepared me for this,” she hugged the scans to her chest

“Human behavior is very strange,” he walked away from her back to his pizza.

* * *

Felicity stood there, her mind spinning. How could there be a real life alien in her kitchen, eating pizza, right that minute. How? _How?_ It didn’t make any sense. Her life was not that interesting. But somehow, she had a bellybuttonless, _Dreithzian_ , watching her very carefully. She wanted to answer to the strange scans and now she had one.

“Careful what you wish for,” she whispered, looking down at them.

She could really learn about another species if she wanted to. He could teach her, but no. She should be getting him back home, right? He didn’t belong on earth.

“Wait where the hell is Dreithz? I’ve never heard of it before.”

“Earth technology is truly limited,” he tilted his head at her.

She frowned, but obviously she couldn’t argue. If there was a whole planet or planets out there they didn’t know about. Shit.

She stared at him and he stared right back. It was going to take her some time to wrap her mind around having a non-human staying in her apartment. But she was going to stand behind her decision. No matter how crazy it was. She wanted to protect him. Maybe even more now than before. She couldn’t even imagine being lost on a strange planet.

God, how was she believing this so easily? It was hard to dispute with the evidence right in front of her, but still _an alien_. Maybe it was the science fiction loving side of her. Or maybe it was the eight year old Felicity who dreamed of seeing the stars. Either way, she believed him. She believed the scans in front of her.

“What did you mean, the closest translation of your name is Oliver Queen?” she asked.

“My name is complicated,” he said.

“You don’t think I would be able to say it?” she said, offended.

He licked his lips of pizza sauce, “I did not mean to upset you. I merely thought it would be easier.”

She sighed, he was trying, “Okay, fine,” she wasn’t going to press the issue, “How did you learn English so fast?”

“The television,” he said, setting down his pizza, “And I read a book.”

“Which book?”

He walked towards her, picking up something off the ground, “This one,” he plunked a dictionary down into her hands.

“You read the entire dictionary?”

“It was very informative.”

She opened her mouth to ask another question, but decided to save it for later. Instead, she said, “I’m going to get you home, Oliver.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

“Felicity,” she said, “Felicity Smoak.”

“Thank you, Felicity Smoak.”

She looked up into those amazing blue eyes. His handsome face was passive as ever. She really did want to know more about him; she had before, but knowing what she knew it made him that much more intriguing.

“Oh I got you fresh clothes to wear,” she picked up the items she had dropped.

“Thank you,” he took them from her.

“And uh if you haven’t figured out the shower yet I can help you… not like I’m going to get in there with you. That would be _wrong_ ,” she sputtered nervously, “I just meant show you where it is and all… of… that…”

He blinked at her.

“Anyway,” she cleared her throat, “And if there’s anything else you need let me know.”

“More pizza.”

“There has to be something else you want to eat,” she laughed, “Besides this isn’t even real pizza.”

“What do you mean? Has it been replicated from the original source?”

She opened her mouth to answer, but closed it again. “N-no, I meant this is cheap and not very good. I should get you something better.”

He seemed to perk up. As much as someone could perk up without any hint of smiling, “I would like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think!
> 
> tumblr & twitter: felicityollies


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pizza, confusion, and late night talks

Oliver sat on the floor with his pizza. It seemed less appealing now there was a prospect of something better, but he was going to eat it anyway. He could feel Felicity Smoak’s eyes on him. She had been so surprised to meet a being from another planet. Did humans not have contact outside earth? From the looks of their technology he guessed it really was that primitive. He understood the lack of information his people had on humans now. There had barely been a sentence in his many books on the planets far outside of Dreithz and the galaxy it resided it.

He looked up at Felicity. She was speaking into a communicating device. He slowly chewed his bite of pizza; she looked away from him and continued her conversation. Oliver trusted her. She had been kind to him, tried to help him, though there were some misunderstandings, she had tried her best and that was what mattered to him. But still he wondered what she was doing.

“Alright, thank you,” she said as she started walking towards him. She turned off her device and let out a puff of breath, “Your real pizza will be here soon.”

He still didn’t understand that phrase. Real food. The food he was consumming was not made from a replicator, so therefore it was very real. She explained that it meant it was better than what he was eating, but to him it sounded strange. Felicity frowned at him.

“I promise it’s the best pizza in Washington.”

“Washington,” he said, “A north-western state in the United States also known as the Evergreen state,” he remembered from his earlier reading of the Oxford Dictionary.

“Yes,” she said with wide eyes, “That’s where we are. Starling City, Washington to be exact.”

“Starling City,” he said, memorizing the words.

“Yeah,” Felicity said slowly.

He watched her carefully, trying to decipher her reactions, but they were all very confusing to him. He didn’t like confusion.

“Are you distressed?”

“No,” she sighed, “I’m…” she waved her hands about with her mouth wide open as if she were searching for words in the air, “Trying to get used to the idea of having an alien in my living room.”

He pushed his pizza aside and licked his lips, “I am confusing to you.”

“Yes.”

“You are confusing to me. I do not understand human behavior.”

She sat down in front of him, crossing her legs and mimicking his position, “We’re pretty different, huh?”

“Quite,” he tilted his head at her.

She mirrored him again, “What are your people like?”

“Much the opposite. They are quiet and not so emotional. Emotions are not deemed as important. They are not logical.”

“As important as what?”

“Knowledge.”

She sat up straight again, narrowing her eyes slightly. To him it seemed she was suspicious of him, but he couldn’t quite tell. Verbal language was easy, body language was more difficult. But he wanted to learn. He wanted to understand her.

“You must _feel_ something.”

“Since I have arrived here I have felt fear and confusion.”

“So, you have emotions….”

“But we do not rely on them as humans do, we can learn to ignore them in pursuit of other things,” he explained, “My people want to learn and explore.”

“What did you do back home?”

“I was a researcher in engineering and astronomy. I studied magnetic fields of other planets and the effect of their orbit. I was developing a dwarf star field to provide limitless renewable energy.”

She stared at him wide-eyed. He knew this one, shock.

“I do not understand this reaction.”

“Like you said your technology is way more advanced than ours,” she shook her head, “I’ve never…. It’s just amazing.”

He nodded.

“I was in the middle of my research when my ship went off course. I found myself in an asteroid field where I was hit and knocked even further out of range. I am not sure where my home is from here,” he frowned.

He felt a heaviness in his chest he couldn’t explain. Back home was so much simpler. Work, home, and family. He lived his life studying and keeping to himself. Emotions were as foreign to him as they were to the rest of his species, but here on earth he was vulnerable. He was away from his people, away from his home, and open to new experiences. He feared what was happening to him.

Oliver put his hand to his chest.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, moving forward.

“Pain,” he said quietly.

She reached towards him, placing a hand over his. Felicity was warm. She looked at him with…. worry.

“What kind of pain? Sharp? Dull? Throbbing?”

He looked into her kind eyes and let out a shaking breath, “Heavy.”

Her expression changed slowly. From worry to something more understanding, “I’m not sure I can fix that,” she said softly, but she gave his hand a squeeze. The gesture seemed kind, but he did not understand it. His people were not physical.

_DING-DONG_

A loud noise startled them both. His hearts rattled in his chest and his breathing picked up. He hated loud noises.

“It’s okay,” she said, “It’s the doorbell.”

“Doorbell. You have a visitor,” he took in a deep breath, remembering his television viewing and reading.

“The pizza has arrived.”

He relaxed further, “Pizza.”

The cat purred, rubbing his head against Oliver’s arm. It was as if the small animal sensed his distress. He picked up the creature and stroked its fur. For some reason, he found the sound it made calming. The softness of his fur in Oliver’s fingers was a wonderful sensation too. He closed his eyes and focused on the cat while Felicity went to the door. Deep breath and stroke the cat. Deep breath and stroke the cat. His heart rate evened and his breath slowed. Even the heaviness in his chest seemed to lighten some.

“I read once cats lower anxiety and depression,” Felicity said. He looked up at her, “Something about their purr,” she sat a box down in front of him, “Is Kirk helping?”

He glanced to the orange creature in his lap and then back to her; he gave a single nod, “Kirk is a calming being. I must procure one before I return home.”

Felicity giggled. A happy sound to match the smile on her face. He had amused her in some way, but he had been completely serious. Oliver didn’t get the chance to ask her what was so amusing because she flipped the box open and revealed the pizza inside. His mouth watered at the sight of it. The pizza shined with grease; it was covered in delicious looking toppings, things he had yet to try. 

“Beef sausage, jalapenos, cream cheese….” she slid the box closer, “Dig in.”

Oliver bent over to grab a slice. Kirk was displeased by the movement and ran off. He brought the slice to his lips, taking a moment to sniff it first. His stomach growled. He took a large bit, making sure to get all the toppings in his mouth. His eyes went wide. Something hot hit his tongue. He was not accustomed to spice. It burned and hurt, but he didn’t want to stop chewing.

“It hurts,” he said with his mouth full, “But I want to keep consuming…”

She nodded, “The beauty of spice.”

He kept going and was met with the coolness of the cream cheese. It dull the spice of the jalapeno and mixed well with the savory of the beef. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the pizza. When he finally swallowed, he licked his lips of the pizza sauce.

“This is truly more delicious than the other pizza.”

“That’s because the other pizza is made in a factory and flash frozen, but this is made _fresh_. Real pizza.”

He started to understand what she meant, but truthfully he did not care very much as long as he was able to continue eating this pizza. Oliver took another large bite and contently chewed.

“Will you tell me more about your people?”

He nodded and swallowed, “I do not understand your touch.”

“What do you mean?”

He reached over and repeated her earlier action of squeezing his hand, “My people do not do this,” he said, “We are not physical beings.”

“Oh,” she seemed startled.

He pulled back, “What does it mean?”

“I was trying to comfort you,” she said, “It can also be a form of affection,” her cheeks turned a rosy pink.

He tilted his head, “We do not show affection this way.”

“How do you show affection?”

“By doing things for each other.”

“Like what?”

He took another bite and thought about it for a moment, “I cook my family dinner,” he said after he swallowed, “Small tasks mean more than material goods or physical touch,” he continued, “Doing things for the good of society.”

She frowned at him as she ate her pizza.

“You do not understand.”

“No,” she said with her mouth full, “I sort of get it, but it just seems… lonely.”

It was his turn to frown.

“Do you guys have sex?” she smacked her hand over her mouth immediately after speaking.

“Our only physical interaction and we use it simply to procreate.”

“Oh.”

“From what I viewed on television, it is my understanding that sex is not simply for procreation on earth.”

Her cheeks turned red this time, “No it’s um.. it can be for fun, you know like casual things with strangers or with your boyfriend or girlfriend…” she stammered, “Or with the person you love as um a bonding thing.”

“I see.”

“N-not everyone has sex. I mean I do, but I haven’t in a very long time. And oh god you didn’t need to know that,” she shoved more pizza into her mouth.

“You are distressed again,” he took a bite of his own pizza.

Felicity was easily distressed, but he didn’t know why. This was different than her earlier distress. This wasn’t confusion. This was… he wasn’t sure.

He had so much to learn about humans.

She swallowed and cleared her throat, “Did you um have someone back home?” 

“In what you would call a year I was to find a mate and continue my species.”

“So, that’s a no.”

“No, I did not have someone as you said.”

Oliver finished his slice and went for a second, “Do you have someone, doctor?”

“No,” she mumbled, “I haven’t had time to date.”

“Date,” he said.

“Um… courting?” she tried.

He narrowed his eyes, “Yes, I understand,” he nodded, “We do not have traditional courting rituals among my people, but I have seen then them on other planets. The Nizans sing and dance to court their mates.”

“Do you not love your mates?”

He thought long and hard about that. Love was a complicated concept. They showed affection for each other. There was care among his people. He knew his father and his mother cared for one another. They were well known on his planet not only because his mother was the prime minister, but because they had a model relationship and produced fine offspring. But love.

“We may grow to care for them over time, but a relationship among mates is business.”

Her shoulders slumped and she frowned.

“What is wrong?”

“It sounds lonely.”

“It is not. My people are content with their lives.”

“But not happy.”

His brow furrowed and he took another bite. Love and happiness. It seemed important to her, but he didn’t understand. Every time he thought he was learning, he took a step back into confusion.

She sighed, “I’m sorry. Just because I don’t understand something… doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Um… why don’t we talk about something else. What was that extra organ…”

“It is not extra. It is called a xyfner and it has the purpose of clearing out toxins in the dreithzian body.”

“Ziff-ner,” she pronounced it slowly.

“Yes.”

“Why don’t you have a belly button? How do you get nutrients in the womb? Is there a womb?”

“There is a womb,” he said, “Before birth the dreithzian gain nutrients through absorption in the skin. It is very thin at first, but thickens within the first several weeks after birth. We are very vulnerable in those early days. Some of us do not make it.”

“But you’re strong now.”

“We are stronger than some species. It takes time for us to grow into our full strength. Our children must be protected, but when we come of age we are strong and not so easily killed.”

“Two hearts.”

He nodded.

“What else can you tell me?”

Oliver could see she was very interested in him. It made him feel something else. Pride? It made him want to stand tall and puff out his chest, but he restrained himself.

“We have a high metabolism.”

“That would be why you have eaten all the pizza in my house. I really have to get you more food,” she laughed.

He decided, he liked that sound.

Her eyes moved away from him for a moment. She made a loud yelping noise that he did not like as much, “It’s three in the morning, I have to be back to work in five hours.”

“Oh.”

“I have to sleep, but I promised I would show you how to use the shower.”

“You should rest, Felicity.”

“Are you sure you can handle yourself?”

He nodded.

She ran off towards the hallway and into the room he knew to be her bedroom. He stared after her for a long moment before turning back to the pizza. Oliver finished off one more slice and took the rest to the fridge to save. Kirk followed him around the room until he found himself on the couch again. He would figure out this shower thing in the morning. For now, he wanted to rest as well. He was exhausted from his learning and conversation with Felicity. But he knew he had so much more to learn. Oliver took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. Tomorrow was another day.


End file.
